Since opening its doors in 1992, John E. Worthen Arena has proven to be one of the premiere athletic venues in the Mid-American Conference for both basketball and volleyball. Built at a cost of $29.4 million, the 11,500-seat arena was the host site for the 1992 NCAA Men's Volleyball National Championships, as well as BSU's first round match of the 1995 NCAA Women's Volleyball Championships. Worthen Arena has also served as the temporary home for Ball State's gymnastics team which moved into its new facility after the 2009-10 season.

Worthen Arena made its official debut Jan. 15, 1992 when the Ball State men's & women's basketball teams hosted Miami University in a doubleheader. The men's game drew a sellout-crowd of 11,500 fans that would go home happy after seeing the Cardinals post a 70-64 victory over the archrival RedHawks. The game was the first of two sellouts in the arena in 1992 and the first of eight to date in the arena's history.